Lexical Summary shalak: To throw, cast, fling Original Word: שָׁלָךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cormorant From shalak; bird of prey, usually thought to be the pelican (from casting itself into the sea) -- cormorant. see HEBREW shalak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shalak Definition (bird of prey) probably cormorant NASB Translation cormorant (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׁלָךְ noun [masculine] bird of prey, probably cormorant (as hurling itself from above; — compare Thes1419 DiLv TristrNHB 252 McLean-ShipleyEncy.Bib.CORMORANT); — Deuteronomy 14:17; Leviticus 11:17; (P). Topical Lexicon Name and Natural Identification שָׁלָךְ (shālakh) is usually rendered “cormorant” (Leviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:17). The cormorant (genus Phalacrocorax) is a large, dark-feathered, fish-eating seabird common to the Mediterranean coast, the Sea of Galilee, and the marshes of the Jordan valley. Its hooked bill, webbed feet, and habit of spreading its wings to dry after diving made it a familiar sight to ancient Israelites living near water. Biblical Occurrences 1. Leviticus 11:17 – listed among the birds Israel “must detest” and not eat. In both texts שָׁלָךְ is embedded in a catalog of prohibited birds intended to safeguard Israel’s holiness by regulating diet. Role within the Dietary Laws The unclean-bird lists (Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14) use representative species rather than exhaustive taxonomies. Birds that prey on living creatures or scavenge carrion are barred from Israelite tables. The cormorant, a voracious piscivore that swallows fish whole, fits this pattern of predatory or omnivorous behavior. By abstaining from such animals, Israel rehearsed daily the distinction between holy and common (Leviticus 11:44–45) and publicly testified to its covenant identity. Character and Habits of the Bird • Highly efficient hunter, diving as deep as 45 meters and remaining submerged for nearly a minute. These traits reinforce its designation as unclean: its diet, habitat, and aggressive foraging contrast with the domestic purity and pastoral life associated with clean animals. Theological Themes 1. Holiness and Distinction – God’s people are set apart not merely in worship but in ordinary acts such as eating (Leviticus 20:25–26). Historical Reception in Jewish and Christian Tradition • Rabbinic sources (e.g., Sifra on Leviticus 11) underscore the cormorant’s greed as a moral warning. Practical Ministry Applications • Teaching Holiness – The cormorant passage forms an accessible entry point to discuss God’s right to dictate every sphere of life. Related Passages and Themes • Isaiah 34:11 and Zephaniah 2:14 mention similar waterbirds inhabiting desolate places, linking them to judgment imagery. Summary שָׁלָךְ, the cormorant, appears briefly yet pointedly in Scripture, reinforcing the broader call to separation unto God. Its natural appetite and habitat serve as living parables of greed, impurity, and wilderness desolation, whereas abstaining from it foreshadowed the pure, distinctive life ultimately realized in Christ. Forms and Transliterations הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ הַשָּׁלָֽךְ׃ השלך השלך׃ haš·šā·lāḵ hashshaLach haššālāḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 11:17 HEB: הַכּ֥וֹס וְאֶת־ הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ וְאֶת־ הַיַּנְשֽׁוּף׃ NAS: and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, KJV: And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, INT: and the little and the cormorant and the great Deuteronomy 14:17 2 Occurrences |
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